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When I think of St Patrick’s Day food, the first things that come to mind are GREEN snacks! Throw on your favorite green clothes (don’t want to get pinched!) and celebrate Paddy’s Day with some fun, (mostly) healthy bites. 

If you don’t have green chips or broccoli on hand, don’t fret–you can also make this pretty rainbow board (after all, what’s St. Patrick’s Day without the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?). If all else fails and you don’t have the time to make a board, you can whip up delicious Shamrock Shake smoothie bowls.

For more healthy-ish snacks and boards, check out my Build Your Own Avocado Toast Board, Fruit Board, Homemade Hummus Board, Crudite Platter, and Mezze Board.

St Patrick’s Day: A Short History 

Originally a catholic holiday, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th, the day of the eponymous saint’s death in the 5th century. Even though the holiday falls during the lent season, the Irish traditionally celebrate it with dancing, drinking, and enjoying Irish bacon (not corned beef!) and cabbage.

With mass immigration to the States during the potato famine, Irish patriotism in the Irish American communities grew and the holiday’s popularity grew with it. New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the largest parade in the United States with over 150,000 participants. Celebrations in Ireland itself tend to be on the tamer side.

The green of it all is likely a nod to the verdant Emerald Isle itself and, of course, one of the three colors in the tri-color Irish flag. 

Traditional Irish Food for St Patrick’s Day

Contrary to popular belief, corned beef is technically not a traditional Irish food–it’s more Irish American, though it does have some roots in the mother country. If you’re not a fan of corned beef, instead, try some of these:

• Slow-cooked beef stews or lamb stews

• Colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes)
• Shepherd’s pie
• Irish soda bread
• Cabbage
• Irish bacon (not to be confused with “streaky bacon,” which is what Americans enjoy at breakfast!)

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St Patrick’s Day Appetizer Board

Vegetables are tastier when they’re cut into shapes, that’s just fact, but don’t worry–this board also has sweet treats too, you know, for balance. Pro tip: The best way to eat raw veggies, like broccoli and cauliflower, is to blanch them first to make them a little more tender and tasty. 

The Produce

• Green grapes
• Baby broccoli
• Green cauliflower
• Green bell peppers (shaped using a shamrock cookie cutter)

Note: If you don’t have a shamrock cookie cutter, use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to create little clover leaves. 

The Salty Snacks

• Snap pea crisps
• Seaweed snacks (nori)
• Guacamole chips (I got mine from World Market)

The Sweet Treats

• Shamrock sugar cookies
• Chocolate coins
• Yogurt pretzels
• Sour rainbow ribbons

The Dip

• Spinach hummus garnished with cilantro (more on that below)

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How to Make This St Patrick’s Day Appetizer Board

• Like always, I like to start with my small bowls, so add the hummus to the board first to anchor it.

• Next, add your produce items, tallest and biggest first!

• Then, start filling in the holes with the savory snacks.

• Finally finish it off with the sweet stuff.

• Be sure to keep the seaweed snacks and any other dry items away from the fresh produce so the moisture doesn’t soften anything it shouldn’t (I learned this one the hard soft way).

Quick Additions/Substitutions

• If you’re feeling extra festive, add my green apple shamrock. It’s a build on my apple-shaped heart tutorial.
• If you’re looking for some added saltiness, go for pitted green olives (in a ramekin) or sliced avocado 
• Try swapping out the cauliflower for some cucumber slices
• If you’re a major cheese person, find a block of pesto gouda and/or Irish cheddar (bonus points for green wax!)

More Green Snacks for St Patrick’s Day 

• Pistachios
• Grasshopper Pie 
• Mint Oreos
• Guacamole
• Key lime pie
• Avocado
• Green pear
• Kiwi
• Wasabi peas
• Edamame
• Avocado Goat Cheese Dip

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How to Make Green Hummus

You can make green hummus yourself, but you can also use spirulina or green food coloring to get the same effect if spinach isn’t your thing.

I used this green hummus recipe. For a quicker option, combine 8 ounces of your favorite store-bought hummus with 1⁄4 teaspoon spirulina powder or 2-3 drops of green liquid food coloring in a bowl and mix until fully combined.

How to Blanch Green Veggies

Blanching is not as complicated as it sounds! It’s the quickest and most traditional way to make hard veggies (think: cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green beans) tender and less bitter. All you have to do is bring salted water to a boil in a large pot, then add the veggies to the boiling water for up to a minute, or until the colors appear brighter.

Typically after blanching, you then shock the vegetables to stop them from cooking and keep them crisp–it’s not necessary but I highly recommend it. To shock, move the blanched veggies into a prepared bowl of ice water. It’s that easy!

How to Make a St Patrick’s Day Apple Shamrock

@ainttooproudtomeg

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♬ Sunny Day – Ted Fresco

St Patrick’s Day Drink Pairings

A lot of Americans celebrate with green beer, but there are a ton of other fun drinks you can enjoy with or without food coloring!

Alcoholic

• Guinness
• Harp Lager
• Jameson (on the rocks or in a cocktail!)
• Móinéir Irish Strawberry Wine
• Margarita

Non-alcoholic

• Green juice
• Matcha latte
• Lime Jarritos
• Green Apple Soda
• Shamrock Shake

Show Me Your Paddy’s Day Boards

I hope this post inspires you to make a green snack board. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the themed spreads you create from my tips. If you make a board inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttoooproudtomeg so I can see and share!

And, If you liked this recipe, please rate and review.